Last Remaining Residents Flee South Shore Building After Raids by Federal Agents
The last remaining residents of South Shore apartment complex fled the building yesterday as federal immigration agents continued to raid units. In an effort to move them out, Friedman Communities - the court-appointed property manager - deployed armed security personnel who told tenants they had 30 minutes to leave the premises.
Raymond Corona, one of the residents who stayed for just over two years, expressed his disappointment at Judge Debra Ann Seaton's decision not to extend the deadline. He described it as a "silent" verdict that silenced their feedback and concerns about the timeline.
Corona, like other tenants, received $2,500 from Friedman Communities as part of the move-out agreement. However, those without leases were left out in the cold. Candis Stewart, one resident who had been living with her fiancé - the leaseholder - was given only 30 minutes' notice before being escorted out of her apartment.
Stewart expressed sadness and fear about her future plans after losing most of her belongings when Friedman Communities boarded up her apartment. Her story highlights the difficulties faced by tenants in this situation, who were left without a support system or resources to find alternative housing.
Organizer Jonah Karsh from the Metropolitan Tenants Organization praised the efforts of volunteers from Southside Together and the Mayor's Office for helping provide temporary accommodation and financial aid to residents like Stewart. However, he disputed claims made by Friedman Communities that led to the court-ordered move-out, stating that "none of those were offered to them."
The story is a reminder of the need for better support systems in place to prevent such situations from occurring. As Karsh put it, this situation starts with an out-of-state investor who got in over their head and allowed a building to deteriorate.
The last remaining residents of South Shore apartment complex fled the building yesterday as federal immigration agents continued to raid units. In an effort to move them out, Friedman Communities - the court-appointed property manager - deployed armed security personnel who told tenants they had 30 minutes to leave the premises.
Raymond Corona, one of the residents who stayed for just over two years, expressed his disappointment at Judge Debra Ann Seaton's decision not to extend the deadline. He described it as a "silent" verdict that silenced their feedback and concerns about the timeline.
Corona, like other tenants, received $2,500 from Friedman Communities as part of the move-out agreement. However, those without leases were left out in the cold. Candis Stewart, one resident who had been living with her fiancé - the leaseholder - was given only 30 minutes' notice before being escorted out of her apartment.
Stewart expressed sadness and fear about her future plans after losing most of her belongings when Friedman Communities boarded up her apartment. Her story highlights the difficulties faced by tenants in this situation, who were left without a support system or resources to find alternative housing.
Organizer Jonah Karsh from the Metropolitan Tenants Organization praised the efforts of volunteers from Southside Together and the Mayor's Office for helping provide temporary accommodation and financial aid to residents like Stewart. However, he disputed claims made by Friedman Communities that led to the court-ordered move-out, stating that "none of those were offered to them."
The story is a reminder of the need for better support systems in place to prevent such situations from occurring. As Karsh put it, this situation starts with an out-of-state investor who got in over their head and allowed a building to deteriorate.
I'm telling you, something fishy went down here. First, the court-appointed property manager Friedman Communities comes in and starts raiding apartments like they're some kind of government prison. And what's with the 30-minute notice for people who don't even have leases? It's like they want to scare 'em into leaving or something.
It's just not right.
no one should have to go through that, especially when they're already struggling to make ends meet. it's all about prioritizing profits over people 
these tenants deserve so much better than what they got, at least some kind of extended deadline or more support with finding new housing 
, can you believe how fast these people had to leave? I feel so bad for Candis, she must be shaking 
. And yeah, the fact that they only got 30 minutes' notice is crazy 
. It's like, what even is that? A person needs time to gather their stuff and figure out their next move 
. This whole situation is just so... frustrating 
.
. And for what? So some investor can get out of a bad deal? It's just not right 
. We need to do better, you know? Provide support systems for people who are already struggling 
. This is just another example of how the system can fail those who need it most 
. How are people supposed to rebuild their lives with no support system or resources? It's heartbreaking that the $2,500 Friedman Communities gave them was basically a Band-Aid on a deeper problem... like, what about job training or counseling or something? 
the fact that some folks are making a profit off this situation is just infuriating 
it's clear we need better laws in place to protect tenants and prevent situations like this from happening again 
IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE LEFT WITH ONLY 30 MINUTES' NOTICE TO LEAVE THEIR APARTMENT! I MEAN, CAN YOU IMAGINE GETTING SUCH A LITTLE TIME TO PACK UP YOUR STUFF AND LEAVE BEHIND EVERYTHING YOU OWN? 
WHERE WAS THE SUPPORT WHEN IT COUNTED?!
. I mean, think about it, these people were given basically no notice and had to leave everything behind - it's just crazy! 
It just doesn't seem fair.
That's definitely something we need more of, especially for people who are already in tough spots. But on the other hand... how do these programs even get funded, you know? It feels like they're just Band-Aiding a huge wound that's been left open for far too long 
Can we really expect better support systems to spring up out of nowhere, or are we just going to keep patching things together until someone else gets hurt? 
. And what really gets me is that some folks are blaming the tenants for not having leases - like, who needs a lease to be a human being? 
It just feels like another example of how the system can let people down when they need it most.
It's not like they're asking for much... just a chance to find new homes and be human beings again. 
. We need better laws and regulations in place to protect tenants from situations like this 
. It's a real shame that people are having to go through this, especially when they're not even at fault 
.
.
.
. It's just not fair to these people who are already struggling to make ends meet 
. Now these people are left with nothing and no one to turn to 
.
.
. But still, it's a huge mess.
.